What Trump Understands Intuitively About Speeches
The president’s address to Congress blended elements of a campaign rally with the feel of daytime television. Were you expecting anything different?
TroibNews 
Do presidents start their speeches to Congress by highlighting their electoral victories? Do they insult former presidents by name? Do they perpetuate obviously false claims about citizens from centuries ago receiving Social Security benefits? Do they promise a balanced budget while simultaneously proposing massive tax cuts?
These are not the questions to focus on.
Analyzing President Donald Trump’s address through the lens of traditional political commentary may lead to confusion. The speech showcased his distinctiveness as a leader, his disregard for the conventions of political decorum, and his ability to convey strong emotional messages effectively.
In stark contrast to his first address to Congress in 2017, which emphasized unity and civility, this speech was raw and confrontational, transforming the typically solemn event of a State of the Union address into something resembling a campaign rally — and a vivid television spectacle, featuring real-life victims, survivors, and heroes.
Trump took pleasure in taunting the Democrats, who largely remained silent, brandishing anger-filled placards or exiting quietly, aside from Rep. Al Green, who made a stand and was escorted out. He spent considerable time detailing what he perceived to be the excesses of foreign aid programs that constitute a negligible portion of the federal budget, while neglecting to address the real harm inflicted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency on programs that save lives.
He spoke of a rise in national optimism that somehow overlooked the mounting concerns about his economic policies, evident in declining consumer confidence and falling stock prices, as well as dire warnings from business leaders and the Atlanta Fed regarding job losses and economic downturns. The closest he came to acknowledging these issues was a mention of potential temporary discomfort due to his trade disputes with Canada, Mexico, China, and beyond. “There will be a little disturbance. But we’re okay with that,” he said, suggesting farmers may need to endure “a little bit of an adjustment period.”
More notably, he fully embraced the culture wars and did so repeatedly, turning to the guests in the audience to emphasize his points.
While presidents have invoked individuals in their speeches since Ronald Reagan honored Lenny Skutnik, no one has woven real-life narratives into a congressional address as effectively as Trump. He highlighted a young volleyball player severely injured after being hit by a trans athlete. He paid tribute to a wilderness preserve named after a 12-year-old girl, murdered by an undocumented immigrant. The family of Laken Riley, whose murder by an undocumented immigrant frequently appeared in his 2024 campaign speeches, was present to hear him endorse a strict detention law in her honor.
These instances were just a few illustrations of a president who views his life and work as a production. There was a heroic Border Patrol agent, the family of a slain police officer, and — most movingly — 13-year-old DJ Daniel, who suffers from brain cancer and was dressed as a police officer; even Trump’s critics must have found joy in the boy’s excitement when the president named him an honorary Secret Service agent.
The most significant moment of the speech came when Trump read a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declaring that “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.” This may have been an attempt to reshape the narrative from the past week, when Trump seemed to forsake Ukraine in favor of Russia and inadvertently shook the foundations of the 80-year-old Western alliance — a shift that left many Republicans unhappy.
This was one of the rare instances where Trump appeared closer to the role of … president. Overall, the speech mirrored the events of the past 40 days: fortified by the belief that he “was saved by God to make America great again,” determined to resist institutional constraints, and eager to leverage the medium he understands with striking acumen, he aims to embody Trump Unbound. There should have been no surprise in that.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
These are not the questions to focus on.
Analyzing President Donald Trump’s address through the lens of traditional political commentary may lead to confusion. The speech showcased his distinctiveness as a leader, his disregard for the conventions of political decorum, and his ability to convey strong emotional messages effectively.
In stark contrast to his first address to Congress in 2017, which emphasized unity and civility, this speech was raw and confrontational, transforming the typically solemn event of a State of the Union address into something resembling a campaign rally — and a vivid television spectacle, featuring real-life victims, survivors, and heroes.
Trump took pleasure in taunting the Democrats, who largely remained silent, brandishing anger-filled placards or exiting quietly, aside from Rep. Al Green, who made a stand and was escorted out. He spent considerable time detailing what he perceived to be the excesses of foreign aid programs that constitute a negligible portion of the federal budget, while neglecting to address the real harm inflicted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency on programs that save lives.
He spoke of a rise in national optimism that somehow overlooked the mounting concerns about his economic policies, evident in declining consumer confidence and falling stock prices, as well as dire warnings from business leaders and the Atlanta Fed regarding job losses and economic downturns. The closest he came to acknowledging these issues was a mention of potential temporary discomfort due to his trade disputes with Canada, Mexico, China, and beyond. “There will be a little disturbance. But we’re okay with that,” he said, suggesting farmers may need to endure “a little bit of an adjustment period.”
More notably, he fully embraced the culture wars and did so repeatedly, turning to the guests in the audience to emphasize his points.
While presidents have invoked individuals in their speeches since Ronald Reagan honored Lenny Skutnik, no one has woven real-life narratives into a congressional address as effectively as Trump. He highlighted a young volleyball player severely injured after being hit by a trans athlete. He paid tribute to a wilderness preserve named after a 12-year-old girl, murdered by an undocumented immigrant. The family of Laken Riley, whose murder by an undocumented immigrant frequently appeared in his 2024 campaign speeches, was present to hear him endorse a strict detention law in her honor.
These instances were just a few illustrations of a president who views his life and work as a production. There was a heroic Border Patrol agent, the family of a slain police officer, and — most movingly — 13-year-old DJ Daniel, who suffers from brain cancer and was dressed as a police officer; even Trump’s critics must have found joy in the boy’s excitement when the president named him an honorary Secret Service agent.
The most significant moment of the speech came when Trump read a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declaring that “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.” This may have been an attempt to reshape the narrative from the past week, when Trump seemed to forsake Ukraine in favor of Russia and inadvertently shook the foundations of the 80-year-old Western alliance — a shift that left many Republicans unhappy.
This was one of the rare instances where Trump appeared closer to the role of … president. Overall, the speech mirrored the events of the past 40 days: fortified by the belief that he “was saved by God to make America great again,” determined to resist institutional constraints, and eager to leverage the medium he understands with striking acumen, he aims to embody Trump Unbound. There should have been no surprise in that.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
